FC Dallas will open its 2026 Leagues Cup campaign on August 5 against Querétaro FC, according to an official schedule announcement released by the club on March 5, 2026. The tournament schedule features interleague matchups across North America, with Dallas playing its opening phase fixtures ahead of the knockout rounds scheduled for late August.
2026 Leagues Cup Schedule and Opponents
According to FC Dallas, the team kicks off Phase One on Wednesday, August 5, against Querétaro FC. Following the opener, Dallas faces Club Deportivo Guadalajara on Saturday, August 8. The club concludes Phase One on Wednesday, August 12, travelling to Toluca, Mexico, to face Toluca FC at the Estadio Nemesio Diez.
The 2026 tournament structure divides participating Major League Soccer and LIGA MX clubs evenly into two regional groups of 18 teams each: Eastern and Western. Within each region, teams are sorted into three tiers based on their Leagues Cup Ranking. MLS clubs are ranked using the final 2025 MLS Supporters’ Shield standings, while LIGA MX clubs derive their ranking from cumulative performances across the Apertura 2025 and Clausura 2025 tournaments, according to FC Dallas.
Historical Matchups and Opponent Context
The upcoming fixtures mark several firsts and notable renewals for the Texas club. According to FC Dallas, Dallas will face Toluca and Querétaro for the first time in club history. Toluca became the fifth team to win both the Apertura and Clausura tournaments in the same year, joining Club León, Club América, Atlas, and Club Universidad Nacional as the only clubs to earn bicampeonatos in Mexico’s modern era. Querétaro previously advanced to the quarterfinals as Liga MX’s deepest-finishing club during the 2023 edition of the tournament.
Against Guadalajara, commonly known as Chivas, Dallas plays the Mexican side for the second time in an official competition. The teams previously met on July 24, 2007, during a SuperLiga group stage match in Frisco that ended in a 1-1 draw, with Arturo Alvarez scoring for Dallas.
Broadcast Details and Tournament Progression
All Leagues Cup matches will be broadcast globally on Apple TV, available to subscribers across multiple devices. Linear broadcast coverage for select matches is provided by TelevisaUnivision, FOX Sports, TSN, and RDS, according to FC Dallas. Kickoff times and venue specifics for Phase One matches are scheduled to be announced in the coming weeks.
Following the conclusion of Phase One matches, the top four clubs from each league will advance to the Quarterfinals, which are scheduled from August 25 to 27. The Semifinals will take place on September 1 and 2, leading up to the tournament final and third-place match on Sunday, September 6, where three qualifying spots for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup will be determined.